Magazine catch and release for firearms



Apr. 17, 1923. 1,452,042

G. HAMMOND MAGAZINE CATCH AND RELEASE FOR FIREARMS Filed Feb. 28 1918 A ORNEY.

Patented Apr. 17, 1923.

UNITED STATES 1,452,042 PATENT OFFICE.

GRANT HAMMOND, OF NEW HAVEN, GONNECTICUT ASSIGNO'R OF ONE-THIRD TO ALVA C. WASHBURNE, OF PITTSFIELD, MASSACHUSETTS, AND ONE-THIRD TD FREDERICK G. CRANE, F DALTON, MASSACHUSETTS. 4 i

. MAGAZINE CATCH AND RELEASE FOR FIREARMS.

Application filed February 28, 1918. Serial No. 219,590.

To all whom it may concern: 'Be it known that I, GRANT HAMMOND, a citizen of the United States, residing at New Haven, in the county of New Haven and State of Connecticut, have invented a new and Improved Magazine Catch and Release for Firearms, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to devices employed for effecting the automatic release and ejection of a magazine from a firearm, and an object of my invention, among others, is to provide a structure in the use of which the release and ejection of the magazine Wlll be highly effective and in which the parts re-' quired to effect such release will be of the simplest character.

One form of device embodying my inven-. tion, and in the construction and use of which the objects herein set out, as well as others, may be attained, is illustrated mthe accompanying drawings, inwhich- Figure], is a side view of afirearm em bodying my invention, with parts broken away to show construction.

Figure 2 is a view in section through my improved firearm on plane denoted by dotted line 22 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a bottom view of the receiver illustrating means for retaining the breech bolt in its rearward position, when the magazine is displaced.

Figure a is a view in cross section through the handle on plane denoted by. dotted line 4-4: of Figure 1.

Figure 5 is a side view of my improved magazine with parts broken'away to show construction.

Figure 6 is a detail view illustrating the position of the follower and releasing bar to cause ejection of the magazine.

In the accompanying drawings the numeral 6 indicates the handle comprising a portion of the frame, 7 the triggerguard, 8 the trigger, 9 the barrel, 10 the receiver, 11 the hammer, and 12 the breech-bolt of a firearm adapted to embody my invention,. all..of which parts may, however, be of any well known form and construction.

The receiver may be removably secured to the frame in any suitable manner, and the handle will have a magazine chamber'13 formed after any preferred fashion. My improved magazine 14 is formed to fit the chamber 13 and is provided with a slot 15 extending downwardly from its upper end. A follower 16 is 'removably mounted in the magazine and is pressed toward theopen end thereof as by means of a spring 17 in a manner common to structures of this class. This follower is constructed to operate a magazine releasing bar 18 preferably mounted in the handle and movable lengthwise thereof, m the preferred form of'construction said follower having a slot 19 extending inwardly from that end on which the cartridges rest, the bottom of said slot beingproperly located to engage a releasing stud 20 proecting from the side of thebar 18 near its outer end.

' In the preferred form of construction and as shown herein, this releasingbar is movably mounted on the handle, as in a groove 21 in the outer side of the handle, which groove may be closed by a'cover plate-22 se-' cured to the. handle in any suitable manner. The releasing bar may be forced in one direction by a releasing bar operating spring 23 thrusting with one end against a lug 24 within the groove 21 and with its opposite End against a shoulder 25 on the releasing ar..

A magazine catch lever 26ris pivotally mounted preferably inthe handle,.one'en'd of this lever being formed into a thumb. piece 27 arranged to pass through an opening 28' I in a grip piece 29, the latter being secured to the handle in any ordinary manner. A catch lug 30 projects from the side of the lever 26v into a catch opening 31 in the side of the magazine. The 'levermay be supported in anysuitable manner as by means of a screw 32 projecting through a hole in the handle and through the lever, as shown' in Figure 4; of the drawings.

The releasing bar 18-is formedto operate the lever 26 to disengage it from the magazine, in the preferred formof construction, as herein shown, a magazine'releasing cam 33' beingformed on said bar to engageunder? neath a nose 34 on the lever. In order to prevent pressure of theleverupon the maga-' zine in its movement from its chamber, a. pressure-relieving cam 35 is also formed on the releasing bar to engage underneath: said nose 34. In many instances gravity would effect ejection of the magazine, but in orderito inat the upperiend ofthe handle 6, and of a sure such ejection under all conditions and irrespective of the position of the handle when the last cartridge from the magazine has been fired, I provide means to force the magazine from its chamber in the handle. In the structure herein shown I make use of the follower spring 17, and in utilizing this spring for this purpose I provide'an abutment for the releasing bar 18, this abutment comprising a shoulder 37 at the end of a recess 38 formed in a portion 39 of the frame width to receive the end of said bar. 7

That the breech-boltmay be held in its backward position in the receiver when the magazine is ejected therefrom, I provide 'a breech-bolt catch lever 40 pivotally mounted in the receiver and having a breech-bolt catch 41 positioned to engage a catch shoulder 12 at or near the front end of the breechbolt.

Lips 13 at the :end of the magazine are formed and located to engage the lever 10 and force it outwardly so that the catch &1 will be out of the path of movement of the breech-bolt whenever the magazine is in 7 place in its chamber.

The operation of the device is as follows: Assume that the last cartridge l lhas been forced into the barrel, the follower 16 will be thrust by its spring 17 against the under surface of the breech-bolt, in which position thebottom of the slot 19 in the follower will be close to the under side of the releasing lug 20, the releasing bar 18 at this time be ing in the position shown in Figure 1 of the drawings, and the catch lug 3O engaged in the catch opening 31 in themaga'zine to hold the matter in place. The trigger now being pulled the hammer 11 will be forced forward, the cartridge will be fired in the usual manner and the breech-bolt will be driven backward by the forces created by thegases of explosion. As soon as the breech bolt has passed back beyond the follower the latter will spring upwardly under the force of the spring, and in this upward movement the lug 20 will be caught by the bottom of the slot 19 and the releasing bar 18 will be pulled, in which movement the releasing cam 33 will engage the nose 3 1 of the catch lever 26 and release its catch lug from enopening 31 in the maga- As themagazine moves out from its chamber the hold upon the releasing bar 18 is removed and the latter will move downwardly under the influence of its spring 23 until the releasing cam 35 engages the nose 34- of the catch lever 26, and said lever will, therefore, be moved outwardly so that the catch lug 30 will exert no pressure upon the magazine, and movement of the latter will, therefore, not be impededby the catch lug.

The lips 4-3 of the magazine having been released from engagement with the catch lever 10, the latter will spring inwardly. and the catch thereon will engage with the breech-bolt and hold it at the backward limit of its play. Vhen a new magazine is inserted this catch will be released by engagement of the upper end of the magazine therewith and the breech-bolt will be permitted .to move forward and force the first cartridge in the magazine into the breech in the barrel. I I v In accordance with the provisions of the patent statutes, I have described the principles of operationof myinvention, together with. the device which I now consider to 1 represent the best. embodiment thereof; but I desire to have it understood that the device shown is'only. illustrative,and that the invention may be carried out by other means.

It will beinoted that my improved device utilizes the regular magazine members, and without the additionofpar'ts, "to effect the release ofthemagazine and to force it from its chamber in the handle and the device is thus extremely simple in character and particularly effective in its operation. 'Ic1aim:,,. i

1. A firearm including a frame having a magazine chamber therein and supporting a breech-bolt, a magazineto be removably lo-, cated insaid chamb'er,a power transmitting member normally inactive to move the mag azine, means independent of the breech-bolt for imparting activity to said power transmitting member to move the magazine in said chamberandto prevent action of said activity imparting means until the breechbolt is in its rearward position after the last cartridge hasbeeniired and promptly after extraction ofthe last shell from the barrel.

2. A firearm includinga frame having a magazine chamber therein and supporting a breech-bolt, a magazine to be removably located in said chamber, a member capable of exerting force located in said magazine, and means for transmitting force from said member to cause movement of the magazine in said; chamber when the magazine is empty and the breech-bolt is in its rearward position. v

3. A, firearm including a framelhaving a magazine chamber therein and supporting a breech-bolt, a magazine to be removably located in said chamber, a spring withinthe magazine to feed cartridges therein, and means for transmitting the force of said spring to cause movement ofthe magazine in said chamber when the magazine is empty and the breech-bolt is in its rearward position.

4:. A firearm including a frame having a magazine chamber therein and supporting a breech-bolt, a magazine to be removably located in said chamber, a spring located in said magazine, a follower mounted on said spring, and means connected with the follower to transmit the force of said spring to cause movement of the magazine in said chamber when the magazine is empty and the breech-bolt is in its rearward position.

5. A firearm including a frame having a magazine chamber therein and supporting a breech-bolt, a magazine to be removably located in said chamber, a member capable of exerting force located in said magazine, and means for transmitting the force from said member to cause the ejecting movement of the magazine from said chamber when the magazine is empty and the breech-bolt is in its rearward position.

6. A firearm including a frame having a magazine chamber therein and supporting a breech-bolt, a magazine to be removably located in said chamber, a spring located in said magazine, a follower mounted on said spring, and means connected with the follower to transmit the force of said spring, to cause ejecting movement of the magazine in said chamber when the magazine is empty and the breech-bolt is in its rearward position.

7. A firearm including a frame having a magazine chamber therein and supporting a breech bolt. a magazine to be removably located in said chamber, a. spring located within the magazine, a member movably mounted on the frame to receive the force of said spring, and means acting against said member to cause the force of said spring to act to move the magazine in said chamber when the magazine is empty and the breechbolt is in its rearward position.

8. A firearm including a frame having a magazine chamber therein and supporting a breech-bolt, a magazine to be removably located in said chamber, a spring located in the magazine, a member movably mounted on the frame and operatively connected with the spring to be moved thereby, and means to oppose movement of said member toeffect transmission of the force of the spring to cause movement of the magazine in said chamber when the magazine is empty and the breech-bolt is in its rearward position.

9. A firearm including a frame having a magazine chamber therein, a magazine to be removably located in said chamber, a spring located in the magazine, a follower mounted on said spring, a member movably mounted on the frame and having a lug to engage said follower, and a shoulder located in the path of movement of said member to stop its movement and thereby cause the course of said spring tobe transmitted to effect movement of the magazine in said chamber. I

1O. A firearm including a frame. having a magazine chamber therein, a magazine to be removably located in said chamber, means within the magazine capable of exerting force, means for retaining the magazinein place, a releasing member for said retaining member, said releasing member being operatively connected with said force exerting means, and means acting upon said releasing member to transmit said force to cause movement of the magazine in said chamber.

11. A firearm including a. frame having a. magazine chamber therein, a magazine to be removably located in said chamber, a spring located in said magazine, a retaining member for said magazine, a releasing member for said retaining member, said releasing member being operatively connected to be moved by said spring, and a stop for said releasing member to effect transmission of the force of said spring to cause ejecting movement of the magazine from its chamber.

12. A firearm including a frame having a magazine chamber therein, a magazine to be removably located in said chamber, a spring located in said magazine, a follower mounted on said spring, a releasing member movably mounted in the frame, the latter having a shoulder to limit the movement of said releasing member to effect transmission of the force of said spring to cause ejecting movement of the magazine from its chamber, and a retaining member operatively connected with said releasing member.

13. A firearm. including a frame having a magazine chamber therein, a magazine to be removably located in said chamber, a spring located in said magazine, a catch to retain the magazine in place, and means connecting said catch with said spring to transmit the force of the spring as a propelling power against the catch when the magazine is empty and the breech-bolt is at the backward limit of its play.

14. A firearm including a. frame having a magazine chamber therein, a magazine to be removably located in said chamber, a spring located in the magazine, a follower located on said spring, a magazine catch, and a connection between said catch and follower to exert the power of said spring as a propelling means against said catch by reason of movement of the follower when the magazine is empty and when the breech-bolt isat the rearward limit of its play.

15. A firearm including a frame having a magazine chamber therein, a magazine to be removably located in said chamber, a catch to hold said magazine in place, a movably mounted catch releasing member, and oppositely shaped cams on said releasing member to effect release of the catch and to hold it from engagement with the magazine during ejection movement of the latter.

16. A firearm including a fraine having a magazine chamber therein, a magazine to be removably located in said chamber, a spring located in said magazine, a follower mounted on said spring, a releasing member movably mountedin a recess in the frame, means for operatively connecting the follower and releasing member whereby the latter is forced against the end of said recess, a releasing catch for said magazine, and an operative connection between said releasing catch and said releasing member.

'17. A firearm including a frame having a magazine chamber therein, a magazine to be removably located in said chamber, a spring located in said magazine, a follower mounted on said spring, a releasing member movably mounted in the frame, means upon the releasing member to engage said follower to operate the former, means for moving the releasing member in a direction opposite to that inwhich it is moved by said follower, a catch for holding the magazine in place, cams upon the releasing member extending in opposite directions to engage said catch, said releasing member having a space between said cams to receive the, catch and permit it to engage the magazine to hold it 

